Emergency control valve



April 14, 1925. 1,533,404

- D. H. GREEN EMERGENCY CONTROL VALVE Filed sebt. 18. 1922 I N V EN TOR. Dal 7b 7. Green A TTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 14, 1925. i

I j 1,533,404 PATENT' oFFIcE,

' DAVID a. (manner sAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

EMERGENCY CONTROL VALVE.

Application filed September 18, 1922. Serial No. 588,835.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID H. GREEN, a

I citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful Emergency Control Valve, of which the following is a specification- This invention relates in general to improvements inemergency-contro1 valves, and in particular to a method and apparatus for controlling the flow of gas or oil from 011 wells;

Flowing oil wells are encountered innearly everyoil field of importance, and are often of such violence as to completely destroy the rig and surroundings. Where a heavy flow is unexpected, and no preparations for capping have been made, to gain control is exceedingly difficult, often lmpossible. lVhen a stream of oil is shooting into the air, there is naturally a heavy loss espe-.-

cially of the lighterand more valuable oils. To prevent this, the present method is to place boiler shells upon skids, or heavy timbers reinforced with steel plates are drawn over the hole at the derriek" floor and prevented from being thrown oif by wire slings anchored to the derrick sills.

Occasionally a flowing well talresfire, and

to extinguish the blazeis a diflicult matter and often impossible. Great quantities of steam are often successfulin snufling out fires, sometimes chemicals, and at times tunneling below the surface is resorted to, to

squeeze the casing together by jacks.

So far as I am aware, there IS nothing on the market or in use, attachable to the well that can cope with fire and be controlled from afar.

The main objects of the invention are, to control the well from a remote safe distance to shut it off, or seal it, when it comes in, or at other times, and in case the issuing gas or oil takes fire, to shut it oif and thereby extinguish the fire. I attain the above objects by applying a special fitting to the top of the well casing.

This fitting includes a screening means adapted to arrest rocks, gravels, sand, etc., thrown up by the spouting well, also, a. means for impeding the stream of oil to get the benefit of itsvis viva, and diverting a portion thereof into a lateral pipe, which pipe may extend to a safe and remote distance from the well, and there, be provided with a valve by which the oil may be diness and ease of operation are obtained, and

which are shown in the drawings, and the essentials thereof will be set forth herein-' after.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings,- I have illustrated an apparatus containing my invention in its best form.

Figure 1 is a partial longitudinal sectional elevation of the'apparatus, showing the closure partly across the well outlet.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1, and shows in addition, the remote control means, and the screw to operate the closure in one direction.

.Figure 3' is a partial end elevation and partial vertical section, showing the screen and the pipe leading therefrom for transference of the vis viva energy.

Figured is a' cross-section at AA of F igure 3, through the channel and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing and the figures thereon: 1 represents the top of a well casing, and 2 a flange coupling thereon. 3 is a flange on my special fitting, adapted for coupling to flange 2 by bolts, as shown. Above the circular opening 41 into the apparatus, is a smaller circular opening 5, formed by a conical channel 6, facing downward and having a rounded bottom, into which the screen openings 7. The rounded bottom of the' channel partially reverses the direction of the oil entering therein, and directs it into the main discharge, impeding Somewhat the flow of the oil.

Opening from the channel 6, is 'a pipe 8,

so situated'as to take oil from thechannel by virtue of the direct and increased presbe there, controlled and returned upon itself and connect with the end of a cylinder 9, which constitutes a part of my special some of the gushing oil is directed through fitting. In the cylinder 9 is a piston 10 having a plunger '11, andwhich plunger is of larger diameter than the well outlet, and, being moved across the latter, constitutes an efl'ective closure therefor.

'12 is a sediment trap in the pipe 8., The orifice 13, through which the oil passes from pipe'8 into the cylinder 9, may be considerparallelism by reason of the outflowing oil.

As the piston 10 is usually of a larger-diameter than the closing plunger 11, a drain 16 piston 10.

passes. 69 Y is provided to relieve the space 17 from entrapped oil or air pressure. As the plunger 11 completes its closing movement, its end enters a continuation of its socket at 18.

,The space 18 is provided with a drainage means at 19, ,to relieve it of entrapped oil.

.At the end of the cylindrical space 18 in which the plunger seats, I provide a screw 20, which mayact against a boss 21 on the plunger, to push the latter to its normal open position when it is desired to again open the well.

t a convenient and remote point on the pipe line 8,. out of danger from the spouting oil, is a valve 22 which manually controls the flow of oil through the pipe to. the cylinder 9. In reopening the well, the valve 22 is closed, and a drainage means as at 23, opened to. relieve the pressure behind the Lateral openingsas at 24, may be provided for pipe connections leading to storage tanks to relieve the well pressure should it be deemed advisable to do so after the plunger has sealed the well.

25 is a flange. having standard drilling, and adapted to receive. any standard fitting desired, to ,lead the outflowing oil tov the storage tanks.

Having thus illustrated and described my Y -1nvention in its preferred form, I wish it understood that the same may be modified from time to time as practice suggests. Therefore, the patent protection-that I des1re, is all of that which comes" within the spirlt and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. An oil well closure operable by the force of its movin stream of oil and adapted to be controlle manually and from afar b a valve through which a portion of the 011 2. An oil well closure, operable by the for retracting the said plunger to reopen the vis viva of its moving stream of oil and" adapted to be controlled manually and from afar by a valve through which a portion of the oil passes.

3. An oil well sealing apparatus manually controlled from afar by valve means,'com prising a plunger'adapted to be projected across the well and seal-the same,"and means well.

4. An oil well closure manually controllable from afar by valve means,-comprising a cylinder and a piston therein, deflecting means for turning a portion of the oil into the said cylinder for moving the said piston. across the well to close and seal'the'same.

5. An oil well sealing apparatus, comprising means for deflecting the stream of oil, means for drawing off a portion of the said oil at the point of deflection into a pipe, means for controlling the movement of the said oil in said pipe, said-last named means located at a safe distance from the 'well,

and means operated by the oil from said' pipe for operating a closure for said Welly-3 5 6. An oil well sealing apparatus," having an inverted'channel with a rounded bottom,

said channel adapted to receive oil from the well and deflect it back upon itself, a pipe connected with. said channel. at-the point of deflection and adapted to receive oil therefrom and deliver it to a closure operating means. v

7. An oil well sealing apparatus, having a peripheral screen about thezoIl-exit from the well, a peripheral conical channel adapted to receive-oil through said screen and direct it back upon itself, and a closure operated by oil delivered from said channel.

8. In an oil well closure, a plunger, a cylinder therefor, the plunger provided with a head of lar er diameter than the body of the same and means for turning a portion of the oil from the well into said cylinder behind the enlarged head of the plunger to move the latter across the well to close and seal the same.

9. In an oil well closure, a plunger, a

cylinder therefor, an enlarged head on the plunger, and a pipe connected to the cylinder to turn a portion of the oil from the well into the cylinder and behind the en larged head of the plunger to move the latter across the Well to close and seal the same, said pi e extending exteriorly of the cylinder an a valve in said pipe for controlling the flow of oil therethrough. I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

DAVID GREEN. 

